Sought After
by LissieKay
Summary: "I like you more than a bit Kate." Those were the words I whispered into the wind, the words that had put that smile on her face. It was beautiful, gentle in a way Kate often didn't like to be, and I was proud to have been the one to put it there.
1. Chapter 1

_**I must admit, these two intrigue me. The traveler and the seeker sort of. They remind me of two broken souls, that somehow found healing in each other. I know, remarkably cheesy, but here it is anyways. I hope you enjoy it. **_

**Sought After **

As a human, I'd never had the ability to control my emotions. I felt something; I reacted. Every part of me reacted would be more accurate. My face would color, my muscles would tense … my entire body would react. It was such an odd thing then, when I was bitten, to suddenly have the acute ability to keep my face in a mask. A mask that no one could see through, around or into. The distaste of contact though that had been something of a byproduct of those reactions, had not disappeared. The word loner had never seemed strong enough to me, but in a way I suppose it was appropriate. I was alone. More so than any of the humans that I could see walking in the streets below were. There were people around them, beings that they could smile to when they walked by, persons that with the wave of a hand a conversation could be started.

I had nothing of that, not even the possibility of that. It had never been something that had bothered me before. Now though … it was difficult to not envy those humans the slightest bit. Envying humans, I had thought that was something I would never do. They were weaker than I was of course. They died for goodness sake. Perhaps though that wasn't necessarily a weakness. I sighed, and rose from my perch on the fallen log. It was time to go back. Time to face the desperation that everyone could sense in the air. I nearly regretted coming here as Carlisle had asked. No but that wasn't it either. I couldn't regret this change in worldview. However difficult it was. I pushed off the nearest tree, easily jumping to the branches. From thin stick to thin stick I jumped, watching as the forest below tried to keep pace.

Lonesome. That was the feeling constantly welling up now. Nearly strangling me even. All because of a girl. My teeth ground together as I swung from a low branch and dropped to the ground below me. The scent I had left coming out here assailed my senses and I began to absentmindedly follow it back. The Denali coven. I had heard of them of course, had heard vague stories about their mother and the Vampire Children that had existed long before my time. Not that the coven itself really mattered, though that was part of the problem. The problem was me. I'd expected to come and help Carlisle as I had before and leave unchanged. What was the difference in a small side trip this year than one I had taken centuries ago?

I had apparently forgotten about the nature of change. The thought had a wry smile winding across my face as I stepped across the trail of one of the wolves. Those beasts smelled. Dreadful, truly, absolutely dreadful. The stench was mixed with another scent though, one that wasn't anywhere near as repulsive. Kate. I turned without thinking, following the new trail I had picked up. She was having me deny my true nature. The very essence of who I had always been. Vampires couldn't change … I snorted. Someone should have told Kate that. No longer could I label myself so easily; loner no longer fit. No longer defined me at all.

"I found you." The phrase echoed throughout the forest. Hitting the tree trunks and bounding back towards my sensitive ears. I froze, skidding in the dirt blanketing the forest floor. My eyes slid shut at the timbre of the voice, the level, the … flavor. She needed to talk more. She needed to talk to me more. Never had I considered that there might be a person more private and more enveloped in themselves than me. Kate though … she definitely qualified. I turned slowly, attempting to find exactly where the voice had come from.

She was seated; cross-legged on a giant rock. She'd changed clothes from the last time I'd seen her, and the gold color of her top matched her eyes. The wind moved, sweeping her hair sideways, across her face and back. She was beautiful. I crossed the ground between us at a snail's pace, trying not to startle her. I didn't want to do that, not at all. Startling Kate had more than a few disadvantages. The shocks were the first disadvantage, and those were more than a bit painful. But those came and went, the skittish nature she adopted took a much longer time to disappear. I'd touched her shoulder without thinking nearly a week ago. In the next second I'd been on the ground writhing in pain and gasping for breath and she'd been over a hundred feet away, breathing hard and looking utterly terrified.

Someone had scared her in her past. I could recognize that much. But how or why … I had the distinct feeling that they weren't questions I would ever have answered; Kate was as formidable at keeping her secrets as I was mine.

"Doesn't finding imply that you were moving?" I asked softly, finally close enough to touch the rock she was sitting on. I reached up, staring at her eyes as I rested my hand on her ankle; just above the white sock sticking out of her tennis shoe.

"Finding implies that someone was looking. Which I was." My eyes left her ankle and glanced back up at her face; yes, the smile I had heard in her voice was mirrored over her lips. I smiled back and carefully hoisted myself up on to the rock beside her.

"You were looking for me?" Clarity was something I would never again take for granted. It was best to be very, very clear with Kate.

"I was." She moved maybe a fourth of an inch away from me, just enough so no part of our bodies were in danger of touching.

"You found me." The smile on her face was hard to not stare at this time; I let myself revel in it for a brief second before turning to face forward again.

"As I said, yes." Silence fell between us. I could hear a bird singing, the sound of tiny hearts strewn throughout the woods, the shallow breaths Kate was taking beside me. It was quiet here. Much quieter than at the Cullen's house where there was never a moment when someone wasn't speaking or singing or playing the piano. The soundlessness was nice. Yet had also gone on for too long.

"Why did you want to find me?" I ventured the question at risk of her ire. But her breathing stayed as rhythmic as was normal for her and she didn't shift in the least.

"You don't seem to dislike me as much as everyone else." It wasn't a question, not at all, it was a statement, nearly a declaration it was so fierce. "In fact, it seems as though you almost like me." I looked up from where I had been carving designs in the rock below me with my finger and met her gaze. She looked amused at first glance, the corner of her lips turned up, her cheeks placed in the position of a slight smile, but her eyes weren't portraying amused at all. They were very serious, almost worried. This little conversation was important to her. As blasé as she was attempting to be about it, she cared about my responses.

I slowed my movements again, so she could see my intentions well before they took place. Carefully I brushed my thumb across the corner of her lip, back to the line of her jaw. Her face was smooth, soft beneath my hard skin and infinitely beautiful. I doubted she would like to hear that particular sentiment yet though. Perhaps some day.

"Not almost Kate, I like you a lot." With that I waited for her reaction. It was like this with Kate and I. She tugged and I pulled back, one of us gave an infinitesimal amount and then the war started once more. I'd just given a bit, it was her turn to loosen her palms, let the rope slack in the middle some more. The sound of her feet hitting the ground was the next thing I heard and I glanced down. She was staring up at me, smiling. A real smile, one that showed her teeth and made her eyes light up. The smile that she never really wore. It was nice to see it still existed. The last time I'd seen it she had been laughing as I lay on the ground with electric shocks running through my body.

"Perhaps you'll stay with me for awhile then Garrett." Her hands were by her sides, her head tilted up … the least defensive or offensive pose possible. I would attempt.

"Stay with you or come with you?" She hadn't expected that. The surprise flickered through her eyes for the barest of seconds. I smiled, trying to encourage her. Come on Kate. You can do this. The pep talk I was giving her in my head seemed to work because she was opening her mouth again, whispering so softly I barely heard the words.

"Both I think." That's my girl.

**_What did you think? The ending felt a bit abrupt to me, but at the same time I felt like continuing would have needed a scene shift and I didn't want to do that. I am like all other writers on here I'm afraid, reviews are to me as blood is to a vampire. _**


	2. Chapter 2

**_I never planned for this to be more than a one-shot, however a reviewer mentioned they would like a chapter two and I decided I wanted to discover what Garrett's story was. So, here we are, chapter two in Sought After _**

**Chapter Two **

She went to the forest. Nearly every day. She'd push up from wherever she was sitting, turn her back on everyone and everything and simply walk into the forest. I'd always thought it was to hunt. Her vegetarian diet as they all called it. But then it occurred to me that no one needed to hunt every day. No one needed blood each and every day, whether you were drinking humans or the weaker, less appetizing animals. And then her eyes. They never lightened when she came back. They were the same heady amber color. I watched her, wondered at what she did while she was all alone in the forest. Today was no different than any other day. She dropped the conversation she had been having with Tanya and walked away. I stayed where I was, my back against the side of the house and counted to ten. Curiosity was going to win today; I followed her.

As soon as I leapt across the river I picked up her scent. It was easy to follow, easy to trail after her, but not as easy for my mind to stay occupied. I wondered as I walked. What was she doing out here? What was she thinking about when she came out here alone? A tiny part of my brain hoped that it was me. I ignored that thought as I vaulted across a fallen tree, she had requested that I come with her, stay with her; that was probably as close as Kate was ever going to get to saying that she liked me. That she enjoyed my company, enjoyed talking to me, enjoyed my presence a bit more than anyone else's. It didn't matter if she never said it, I could see it sometimes. When she let her guard down. Like this morning, she had walked into a room full of people and chosen to stand beside me. Tanya had noticed, had given me a nearly imperceptible nod. The message was clear enough; she approved.

Kate's scent veered to the left and I turned; she had gone deep into the forest. The landscape around me was changing. The trees were larger here, the foliage underfoot lessening as the canopy of tree branches refused to let any light through. I nearly stepped on her. She was sitting against a tree trunk, knees drawn up to her chest and eyes straight ahead; unseeing.

"I found you." I echoed her words from three days ago. The side of her mouth curled up in a smile but her eyes stayed straight ahead. She didn't turn to look at me as I crossed in front of her and slid to the forest floor opposite her. I cocked my head, her face was relaxed, nearly serene, far more so than she ever appeared when she was around the house. Her brows were relaxed, her eyes clear, she looked peaceful. The wind tickled the side of my face and her ponytail drifted sideways, only to fall back on her neck.

She was looking towards me, at a spot right above my left shoulder, yet I had the feeling she wasn't really seeing me at all. Just looking through me; like a human would a stained glass window. I stayed quiet, allowing her time to think or see whatever it was she was so concentrated on. Another week, another ten days, maybe. Nothing was very definite about the time line. Alice, the one that no one seemed to know where she was, apparently could see the future. The Volturi would be coming when the snow stuck to the ground. That was as definite as anyone could be. I had one week left. That thought was actually rather sad. I couldn't remember having stayed in one place for more than a few weeks, yet here … I didn't want the time to end. I couldn't remember the last time I had truly longed for more time. How ironic, a vampire that feels he doesn't have enough time. All I had was time, just not in this moment. Not with her. That time was evaporating like the mist in the morning.

"Garrett." Her voice made me look up. She was staring right at me, her eyes concentrating on my face. I'd been under this gaze before; it was so intense it felt fierce. For the first time I wished my eyes matched hers.

"Kate." I emulated her tone, adding a twist of humor to mine. It made her blink. That was all, no smiles or giggles. But those things weren't Kate. This intense gaze, this near glare, it was Kate. Her posture against the tree she could snap like a twig if she wished shifted, and her legs extended in front of her.

"Tell me about where you came from." Like nearly everything Kate said, it wasn't a question; it was much more a demand.

"I'm a nomad Kate. I don't exactly have a home like you. A place I came from you know?" Of course she knew that. I had talked about the places I had been before with her. She found the images I painted fascinating. At least that was what Edward had told me. The ability to read thoughts … I envied that one. Kate's face remained in such a mask, such an unreadable frame, I had trouble deciding what she was thinking.

"That isn't what I meant." Her voice was the most beautiful sound. I would never tell her that, for fear of being very truly shocked into a blubbering mess, but it was a fact just the same.

"What do you mean then?"

"Everyone came from something. You were a human once. Tell me about that. About your life. Before." Her sentences were broken. That was another thing I was becoming quite accustomed to; Kate spoke like she thought I imagined, in pieces.

"My human life?" The memories were fuzzy, as though I was viewing them from too far away. Through shards of broken glass maybe. Kate nodded though and stared, unblinking. I sighed. "I don't remember much. I was born in 1928, just before the Depression hit. My family were farmers, had been for centuries I guess. I don't remember what they farmed, tobacco maybe? I remember everyone worrying about when the Depression would hit us, when we'd be hungry. My mother especially was worried. I was the youngest son and then there were girls, she didn't think she'd be able to feed us all. I don't know-"

"You were the youngest son?" Kate interrupted, a welcome sound to my ears. She did not speak enough.

"My older brothers were killed. I don't know when, I don't remember how. But they died. The Depression didn't touch us, my parents died, my sisters … the money was left to me. The farm, the land, the house … I left it all." That had been the beginning, if I was being honest with myself, that had been the beginning of my life as a nomad. As a loner. And this, this place … this was the end of it. I'd lived an entire lifetime as a wanderer, suddenly I was being thrust into change, into something quite different.

"Who changed you?" Kate again, whisper soft. I looked up at her, meeting her eyes; the overwhelming urge to touch her pushed up. Licked at my self conscious. It wasn't a good idea. Kate wasn't ready for that, if she were; she'd let me know. She would have to be the first to initiate touch that much I was certain of. I would spook her if I moved to quickly, and that was the last thing I wished to do. So I stayed where I was, battling with the real desire to move to her side.

"A story for another day I think, Kate." The crestfallen look that passed briefly over her eyes made him doubt his resolve. "Someone will miss us if we don't get back."

She laughed. It wasn't joyous, it wasn't even particularly happy, it was derisive in fact. Laugh again Kate, I wanted to say. Smile for me, laugh for me, come closer to me. I didn't though, I stayed silent and waited for the delightful sound to dissipate.

"No one will miss us Garrett. Miss me." The broken thoughts again, the quiet tone of her voice. I brought my eyes up, stared directly at her. She was wrong, very wrong, people would miss her. Her family. A smile fell across my face, as much of a caress as I could manage from this distance.

"I'd miss you Kate." The words were swept away by the wind as soon as I spoke them. The smile that fell over her face was enough proof for me though. I didn't need to hear her thoughts to know that I'd pleased her. The fact that her fingers brushed across my wrist as we walked back was only a physical conformation. She would miss me too.

_**There we are. Fluff much at the end? I've decided I do quite enjoy these two, they're lovely. I quite love reviews, and shall offer up a serving of Jacob for any that do jump off that high cliff. **_


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